Charter's TV Everywhere Rollout on Hold

As Charter Communications Inc. nears the end of a six-month "TV Everywhere" trial, executives there say they haven't decided whether to expand access to a website that offers subscribers access to content from their cable subscriptions.

While Charter VP of Product Management Carl Leuschner wouldn't rule out the possibility that Charter could one day launch a TV Everywhere portal along the lines of Comcast Corp. (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK)'s ambitious Xfinity TV Online site, he said Charter lacks agreements with programmers needed to market a site featuring content from dozens of networks. (See Comcast Tees Up TV Everywhere Relaunch .)

"They key learning for us is it's going to take some time to get that critical mass of programming," Leuschner told Light Reading Cable in a recent interview.

While Comcast has agreements with Time Warner Inc. (NYSE: TWX), Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA), Walt Disney Co. (NYSE: DIS), and other major programmers that allow its subscribers to access full-length TV episodes and movies from more than 90 networks, Charter only has nine networks in its TV Everywhere trial.

"When you approach a trial like this for a six-month period, the negotiations have to be done one-by-one. It is hard to get 20 or 30 programmers lined up for a short-duration, small customer trial," Leuschner said. Charter's TVE trial, which began last spring, involved fewer than 10,000 subscribers, he added.

Buffalo, N.Y.-based Synacor Inc. , which operates the Charter.net portal, provided the MSO with technology used to authenticate which subscribers should get access to subscription content for the trial.
Charter Manager of Internet Product Development Lisa Engelke said Charter was pleased with the technical side of the test. (See Synacor Sizes Up ‘TV Everywhere’ .)

"We’ve been satisfied with what we've seen from the trial so far, but we're not at the point where we've made any decisions with how we'd like to move forward. We’d like to gather information, and work on our overall strategy for 2011 and beyond," Engelke added.

Well, this is why I'm glad I am an employee and subscriber of DISH Network.&nbsp; Not only did DISH Network plan for TV Everywhere, but it already has the option available for all of our customers.&nbsp; I love being able to watch live TV or my DVR recordings on the go, wherever I am at.&nbsp; And it doesn't matter what I use - my Android phone, iPad or a laptop.. it will all work great.&nbsp; If you are truly interested in watching your TV while on the go, I suggest you check out DISH Network.

Understanding the full experience of women in technology requires starting at the collegiate level (or sooner) and studying the technologies women are involved with, company cultures they're part of and personal experiences of individuals.

During this WiC radio show, we will talk with Nicole Engelbert, the director of Research & Analysis for Ovum Technology and a 23-year telecom industry veteran, about her experiences and perspectives on women in tech. Engelbert covers infrastructure, applications and industries for Ovum, but she is also involved in the research firm's higher education team and has helped colleges and universities globally leverage technology as a strategy for improving recruitment, retention and graduation performance.

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